:: Harish Gupta

Advani goes moderate

Harish Gupta

The BJP leadership has informally conveyed to the government that it does not want to flare up passions in Jammu and Kashmir. It also told the Centre that its protests and jail bharo agitation are not only low-key but also peaceful. Even their nationwide agitation call is, they said, not aimed at creating any disorder. The BJP would like to consolidate its votebank which was dithering for some time. The party lacked an emotive issue to motivate its cadres and it now feels its objective has been achieved. The BJP has realised that any escalation in the agitation or violence would be detrimental to the party’s image and to the country. Secondly, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr L.K. Advani, no longer wants to be portrayed as a hardline Hindutva protagonist. He is fully aware that Hindu consolidation will not give the party more allies, nor will it bring it the "majority" that the BJP is hoping for in Lok Sabha polls. Therefore, while other party leaders are using strong language, Mr Advani is being somewhat soft. He has also been sending signals to the government that he won’t ride the "Sankalp Rath" and that his yatra will be limited.

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It’s get, set, polls for Cong

It is becoming clear that Lok Sabha polls will be held only in March-April 2009. At a high-level meeting of the Congress’ core committee, attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it was decided that the party should work hard to win in all the five states going to the polls in November. Party leaders felt that victory in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram will turn the tables to the BJP’s disadvantage. The leaders felt the party is comfortably placed in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, but was not sure of Rajasthan and Delhi. It is precisely because of this that the government is taking a series of steps to bring down prices of essential commodities, doling out funds under various schemes and hardselling the Indo-US nuclear deal.

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Lalu asks, Guruji gives

Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was the stumbling block in Shibu Soren becoming chief minister of Jharkhand and not the Congress. In fact, Lalu was not opposed to Soren becoming the chief minister. He merely wanted that departments of mines and forests be given to his party, the RJD, in the bargain. Guruji, as Soren is known, was disinclined. Hence, Madhu Koda was directed by Lalu not to resign. Now, of course, the dispute has been settled and a new government will be installed shortly. It has also been decided that Soren will not initiate any inquiry against Koda or reverse his decisions.

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Moonlighting and stars

Two secretaries to the Government of India — health secretary Nareshwar Dayal and secretary, ministry of development of the northeastern region, Dr Veena Rao — are expert horoscopes readers. In fact, there are several senior officials who read kundalis: Rajiv Takru, director-general of National Institute of Fashion Technology (Nift) reads horoscopes, and R.R. Prasad in the income-tax department is a vaastu expert. Since some Union ministers consult these officers regularly, they have loaded software in their computers so that it is easy to study planetary positions and give instant predictions.

These days the officials are busy trying to figure out who will form the next government at the Centre.

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MPs want a hike, for you

Rajya Sabha MP and former revenue secretary N.K. Singh has suggested to deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha K. Rehman Khan that the MPs’ Local Area Development allocation be increased from Rs 2 crores to Rs 5 crores each. This suggestion received tremendous support from other MPs.

Though similar efforts have been made in the past, none were successful.

However, with Mr Singh on the job, it is expected that there may actually be some movement. After all, it was Mr Singh who singlehandedly ensured that the retirement age for Union government employees was raised to 60 years.